Jaap van 't Veen's photos

The Geul is a river that has its source in Belgium, about 300 meters above sea level near the German border. It flows about 20 kilometers in Belgium before enterig the Netherlands. After a further 38 kilometers through the most southern part of the province of Limburg the Geul flows into the Meuse, north of the city of Maastricht. A drop of more than 240 meters makes it to the fastest-flowing river of the Netherlands. Along the way the river gets water from no less than one hundred and thirty side streams. The valley of the Geul in the Netherlands is a breathtaking piece of (more or less) unspoilt nature. Areas with meadows are interspersed with wooded slopes of the ‘mountains’ of southern Limburg. The valley with the meandering Geul offers cultural highlights and architectural, like quaint villages with half-timbered (farm)houses, watermills, churches and castles.

One of the most well-known building in the valley of the river Geul is probably the Volmolen just outside the village of Epen. The mill was part of the broadcloth industry in Vaals. Because of the location of the mill on the Geul, there was an abundance of water available for vollen - that’s why the mill is named Volmolen - the fulling of the wool. There was not such a large amount of water in the vicinity of Vaals. The history of the Epener mill dates back to the 17th century. In 1680 there was already talk of an oil mill. Later it is said to have been used as a bark mill. It was only in the last decades of the 18th century that it became a fulling mill. The urine and rancid butter needed for the fulling process was discharged into the river Geul after use. So it is not strange that the Volmolen was built outside the village centre of Epen. The complex is situated between the Geul and a dug mill brook. Water is pumped up into the brook to increase the decay of the water at the waterwheel. The buildings, a mill house and a farm with attached barns, surround a courtyard. The walls of the buildings are built in various types of locally broken stone. In 1872 the mill was converted into a flour mill. After several renovations and restorations the Volmolen was put into a flour mill in 1977. The mill is now owned by the Vereniging tot Behoud van Natuurmonumenten (Society for Preservation of Nature Monuments in the Netherlands). A foundation for the exploitation of the mill has a contract with a group of bakers for the supply of flour.

Kasteel Cortenbach (Cortenbach Castle) and its farmhouse are dating back to the 14th century. Remains of this original castle are the two round towers, which were built with a locally found stone. These towers probably were the corner towers of the outer bailey. The current castle was built around the year 1713 as a mansion by the merchant “Herman Lamberts” from Aachen. He was lord of Cortenbach since 1682. In 1776 large parts of the castle were rebuilt again. In 1869 the last widow of the Dutch line of the “De Lamberts de Cortenbach” family died at the castle. Kasteel Cortenbach is one of five castles in the village of Voerendaal. Since 1988 it is private property, housing the main office of a company; hence it is not open for public. The castle is a national monument.

Count Reinier Vincent van Hompesch owned from the year 1719 the heerlijkheid (the lowest administrative and judicial unit in rural areas in the Netherlands) Stevensweert. He wanted his own banmolen (mill soke), in which the inhabitants of the villages Stevensweert and Ohé were obliged to grind their grains, so that the count could claim a part of the revenues. The mill was built between 1721 and 1722. The Hompesche Molen is a so called stellingmolen (tower stage). From this stage (or platform) the miller could bring the sails in the right position. The mill has eight floors (called attics), including the basement, which was also used as a prison. The building is made entirely of brick and is round in shape. With a height of 37 meters it is the tallest flour mill in the province of Limburg. During the Second World War, the mill was badly damaged and could not loger used. Between 1948 and 1949 it was restored, but the mill fell into disuse again and was in a worse condition, which led to another renovation between 1975 and 1977. After that, wheat and barley were milled for years by a voluntary miller for use as cattle feed. Between 2005 and 2013 there has been a visitor centre in the outbuildings and miller's house. From 2009 a brasserie has been housed in the miller's house adjacent to the mill. In 2014 the mill became the property of the Vereniging Natuurmonumenten (a Dutch Society for Nature Conservation). In 2015 the mill was restored and made accessible to the public.

The Wijhese Molen has been constructed early 18th century. There are several inscriptions in various beams in the mill: the oldest one found reads: "GVB 1705". This makes the mill the oldest octagonal mill in the Dutch province of Overijssel. However the mill was probably not newly built, but relocated from a polder mill in Noord-Holland, which was demolished in those days. In the course of the centuries the mill had several millers till it was handed over in 1977 to a foundation Stichting De Wijhese Molen . Commissioned by this foundation, the mill was restored in 1979. It has always had the function of a corn mill: grinding grain for farmers and bakers. Nowadays the Wijhese Molen is still equipped for this purpose with one pair of grinding stones (there used to be two in the past). The ground floor of the mill houses a brasserie and art gallery.

De Gelder was originally a so called havezate (manor or fortified (farm)house). The house was first mentioned in 1382 and was originally part of another estate. In 1601 there is talk of a separate house, which was extended in 1611. In 1683, the property was sold to the Van Dedem family, in whose possession it would remain for a long time. Early 20th century De Gelder came by inheritance into the possession of the noble family of De Vos van Steenwijk. The property was demolished in 1913. On the estate there are still some buildings such as a coach house, a bridge and an entrance gate that belonged to the manor. The moat also remained intact. Nowadays the estate is still managed by one of the members of the Vos van Steenwijk family. The house is also inhabited by the family.

The Tolbrug (Toll Bridge) near Veessen is part of a Dutch plan Ruimte voor de Rivier (Room for the River), intended to protect the areas surrounding the Dutch rivers for flooding. Better drainage of river water reduces the chance of flooding. Between the villages of Veessen and Wapenveld a channel has been created between two dikes to give the river IJssel more room to flood safely. The bridge - connecting the areas on both sides of the dikes, even is the channel full of water - has 60 flaps, which will be opened during extremely high tide. The river water then flows into the area between the two dikes up to the outlet at Wapenveld. If the channel fills up, this temporarily lowers the level in the IJssel. The Tolbrug - 800 meters long - is named after the Tolhuis (Tollhouse) that used to stand on the current spot of the driveway to the bridge.

Originally, the Vogelhoeksmolen - a small octagonal polder mill - was located north of Hemelum in the province of Friesland. The mill must have been built between 1855 and 1873. Until around 1947 the polder Vogelhoek, an area of approx. 50 ha, was drained by the mill. After it was out of operation, the mill fell into heavy decay and was finally demolished in 1970. The parts were transported to Adorp, where they were restored and stored in a mill maker's workshop. In 1984 - 20 years after the owner donated the mill to the museum - it was relocated in the Zuiderzeemuseum in Enkhuizen. The Vogelhoeksmolen is used for flushing the water on the museum grounds. The water needed for this will be drawn from the IJsselmeer. The windmill is equipped with a wooden mortar. In the year 2000 the wooden shaft broke and the sails came down. The wooden shaft has been replaced by a cast iron one. Since then, the Vogelhoeksmolen has been in frequent use.

The Zuiderzeemuseum , located in the historic center of Enkhuizen is a well known Dutch museum preserving the maritime history and cultural heritage from around the Zuiderzee , which became IJsselmeer , after closing the Afsluitdijk (Enclosure Dam) in 1932. The impetus for the founding of the Zuiderzeemuseum was an exhibition that was held around 1930 in Enkhuizen, where cardboard houses were displayed and costumed locals from around the Zuiderzee walked around. Due to threat of World War II the plans were put on hold. In the summer of 1949 the first exhibition - the birth of the indoor part of the museum - was set up in the Drommedaris, the 16th century defensive tower in the harbour. Due to the success of this exhibition, the Zuiderzeemuseum obtained warehouses, which once belonged to the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (Dutch East India Company). The Dutch government took over these buildings and restored them and maintains them until today. The Zuiderzeemuseum consists of two parts: an indoor- and outdoor museum. The indoor museum – opened in 1950 - contains both temporary exhibitions as well as permanent artifacts. Among them a large collection of wooden ships, paintings, furniture and traditional costumes from villages around the former Zuiderzee . The outdoor museum - opened in 1983 - is an open air museum with more than 140 authentic historic buildings, originally situated in villages around the former Zuiderzee . Most of them are the original buildings - sometimes transported in a steel frame - others are replicas. A large variety of buildings are on display: wind mill, lime kilns, fish-smoking house, steam laundry, drugstore, pharmacy, basketmaker, blacksmith, cheese warehouse, school, and hairdresser's, amongst others.

Enkhuizen is a picturesque little city, well known for its numerous historic buildings and monuments. During the 17th century it was one off the most prosperous cities in the Netherlands as a member of the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie - VOC (Dutch East India Company); the largest trading company in the world. Its rich history is visible in many villas, ‘Golden Age’ buildings, churches, channels, harbours and city walls. The most remarkable sight in Enkhuizen is the defense tower - known as Drommedaris (Dromedary) - at the entrance to the Old Harbour. The building - restored in 2013 - still has its 17th-century carillon. Enkhuizen was one of the harbour-towns of the VOC, from where overseas trade with the East Indies was conducted. It received city rights in 1355. In the mid-17th century the city was at the peak of its power and was one of the most important harbour cities in the Netherlands. It lost its position by the late 17th century, due to the wars with England, the silting of its waters and the rise of Amsterdam. Enkhuizen became a sleepy fishermen's town. Nowadays Enkhuizen is famous for its water sports facilities; the town has one of the largest marinas in the country. Many ships from the so called bruine vloot (brown fleet) have adopted Enkhuizen as their homeport.

The village of Petten has been existing since 1300 and was originally called Petten bi der Sipe . During a storm in 1625 no less than a hundred houses were destroyed. The village disappeared completely into the sea in 1792. From the 18th century onwards, Petten was gradually relocated. Petten's past and the struggle against the sea is emphasized by the Palendorp (Pole Village). This monument and work of art was placed in 2016. The 160 poles - six and twelve meters high - form the silhouette of a former church and ten houses. It was a gift of the contractors who carried out the project Kust op Kracht .

In the Middle Ages were dunes on the spot of the Hondsbossche and Pettemer Zeewering . Large storms such as the All Saints' Flood in 1570 swept away these dunes and the North Sea was only stopped by dikes. The impressive sea dike, protecting the villages of Petten and Camperduin, was designated in 2002 as one of the eight weak points of the Dutch coast. It was decided not to further raise the existing dike, but to opt for a solution with 'sand': Kust op Kracht (Coast on Strength). March 2014 the project started to create a beach and dune area on the seaside of the dike, stretching over eight kilometers between Petten and Camperduin and 300 meters wide. Approximately 35 million cubic meters of sand was used for this new piece of land of about 400 soccer fields. The newly created dune area was given the name Hondsbossche Duinen . This approach resulted in a new recreation area and artificial dune landscape with a wide beach, cycling and walking paths, but also a new area for birds with a wet dune valley lake. Near Petten is a panorama dune (26 meters high) - www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/48526386 - where one has a beautiful view over this new part of the Netherlands.

The Waag (Weigh House) is one of Alkmaar’s landmarks. The building has an interesting history dating back to the late 14th century. It was originally built as a chapel for the adjacent Holy Spirit hospital, where poor travelers could get free accommodation for three days and nights. In 1566 the Bishop of Haarlem gave permission to the Holy Spirit hospital to re-purpose the hospital building for weighing. In 1582, the weighing activities were moved to the larger Holy Spirit Chapel, which by then was no longer being used for divine services. The conversion of the chapel to the weighing house was completed in 1583. The choir of the chapel was removed and a richly decorated façade in Renaissance style with a finely worked gable was constructed. Between 1597 and 1603, the original tower was replaced by the much larger present Waagtoren . Since the 19th century the building has been embellished with a painting on volcanic rock, reflecting trade and industry. Nowadays the building houses the local tourist office and the Dutch Cheese Museum). The Waag - a national monument - is located at the Waagplein ; where from April till September the famous cheese market is held.

The kaasmarkt (cheese market) in Alkmaar is one of the most well known attractions in the Netherlands. Although very touristy is a visit to the market worthwhile. Almost 700 years ago, Alkmaar was already a cheese town. Based on historical records it appears that the city owned one pair of cheese scales in the year 1365, but this increased to four in 1612. Thee cheese carrier’s guild is first mentioned seven years later. However the year of 1593 is considered the start of the cheese market. Since the beginning it has always taken place on the Waagplein at the foot of the beautiful Waag (Weigh House). In the 17th century, cheese was traded on Fridays and Saturdays from May until All Saint’s Day. In the 18th century there were cheese markets on four days a week, which lasted until one o’clock at night. The square was gradually becoming too small for all the cheese. Markets were the economic engine in those days, so houses were sometimes demolished to increase market space. Nowadays the folkloric cheese market is a show put on for tourists from around the world, rather than an active center of trade in cheese. From April to September inclusive, one can find out how cheese is traded according to the century-old traditions every Friday from 10am.

The Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk (Great or St. Lawrence Church) is the largest medieval church building in the city centre of Alkmaar. It was already called Grote Kerk during its construction because of its size. The church is traditionally the largest and tallest church building in Alkmaar and has always been praised as the city's jewel. Originally, the building was dedicated to Saint Lawrence. The Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk , dates back to the 10th century. Originally there was a smaller wooden church, which was destroyed by fire in the 11th century. The same happened with a next church. At the end of the 15th century it was decided to build a larger church. The church building was designed by architect Anthonius Kelderman (Mechelen, Belgium) in the style of the Brabant Gothic. The construction took place between 1470 and 1511. Originally it was a Catholic church, but after the Reformation in 1573 it became the centre of Protestant worship. Alkmaar's Grote Kerk is renowned for its organs. The most famous is the little choir organ from 1511. The larger organ is one of the most famous, significant and beautiful organs in the world. It was built by Jacobus Caltus van Hagerbeer, finished in 1645 (PiP4). Another highlight of the interior is the triptych by Pauline Bakker (PiP5). This was made in 2004 for the 750th anniversary of Alkmaar, with scenes from its history. Form and size are derived from the famous triptych (1542) by Maerten van Heemskerk, which was sold to Sweden in 1581. Since 1996 the building has no religious function any longer. Currently the church is owned by a foundation ( Stichting tot Behoud van Monumentale Kerken in Alkmaar ). The building is a museum (free of charge) with attention to the history of the church and is also used for weddings, concerts and other cultural activities.

De Molen van Piet (or officially “De Groot”) is located in the city centre of Alkmaar on the top of the former rampart, towering above the surrounding urban development. This windmill with a stage was built in 1769 and from then on served as a corn mill for ages. In the year of 1874 the mill is owned by miller S. de Groot. Ten years later mill "De Groot" is bought by C. Piet, who came from Aalsmeer and was a miller in Sloten. He had a house made at the lower floors of the mill. The mill's surname remained popularly associated with the mill and the old name “De Groot” is hardly used. Nowadays the fourth generation of the Piet family still lives in the mill. The mill is now owned by the municipality, but is still inhabited and milled - every now and then - by a member of the Piet family. Only during special occasions the mill can be visited.

The (old) town hall is another landmark of Alkmaar, which was built in Gothic style between 1509 and 1520. The stunningly striped façade of the town hall boasts a flight of steps flanked by an elegant octagonal tower, streaked with white limestone. Lions stand guard at the entrance bearing the Alkmaar shield of arms. Various buildings were added in the following centuries, including a Dutch Classicist wing in 1694. The building and the tower were restored in 1911-1913and the present façade is in fact a copy of the original. After the construction of the new city office, the (old) town hall now houses the administrative functions, wedding room and fraction rooms. Being located in the Langestraat - main shopping street of Alkmaar – don’t be surprised if a newly-married bridal couple is coming down the stairs.

The Stelling van Amsterdam (Defence Line of Amsterdam) is a 135 kilometers long ring of fortifications around Amsterdam. It was built between 1883 and 1920 and consisted of 46 armed forts and batteries, acting in concert with an intricate system of dikes, sluices, canals and inundation polders. It is a major example of a fortification based on the principle of temporary flooding of the land, aimed at protecting the Dutch capital against a possible foreign attack. The Stelling van Amsterdam is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996. The Fort bij Spijkerboor is the largest of the 46 fortresses, located in the Beemster Polder. The fort was built between 1889 and 1911 to defend the Northern Front. It was one of the most modern and heavily armed forts of the Defence Line of Amsterdam, equipped with an armoured turret with a double-barrel 10.5-centimetre cannon. The fort has two storeys because of the height of the dike to be defended. The fort was mobilized during the World War I. At that time there were 300 soldiers stationed. Although this defensive structure remained in the possession of the Dutch army until 1975, it has been mainly used as a prison throughout the years. Over the course of time, inmates have left their mark in the form of beautiful murals. At the heart of the fortress is a chapel, featuring these decorations. Fort bij Spijkerboor can be visited and is a kind of musuem, showing how the soldiers lived there with sleeping quarters, laundry rooms, an army kitchen with huge boilers and even a private loo for the officers !!